There was a time when counterfeiting a check could land the perpetrator an appointment with a noose. Sadly, those days are now past; for some reason, the government doesn't take check counterfeiters quite as seriously as currency counterfeiters. Fortunately, most checks come with one or more security measures built right in.

Mostly this is limited to complex designs; even business checks, which look simple at first glance, often have designs composed of a myriad of wavy lines, with special hard-to-notice patterns that spell out "VOID" or "COPY" when someone tries to make a photocopy. In this era of picture-perfect scanners and color copiers, this is no small thing. More complex security features include color variations that are hard to copy, foil inclusions and embossing, and microprinting. Really advanced features, like ink that disappears briefly when it feels the heat of your hand, are available on some checks, but those are mostly used for corporate paychecks.

Not perfect, but not bad. Until some genius comes up with checks that self-destruct when they fall into the wrong hands, we'll just have to make do with what we've got.

Checking Out

Despite prognostications to the contrary, checks aren't likely to go away anytime soon. Not only are your check choices not evaporating, they're expanding like never before. There's a mindboggling wealth of variety for you to choose from. Just remember: whatever you select, make sure you've protection. The right security features can make sure you won't have to suffer from someone else's dishonesty. And be careful of the bounce! Most of the 1.05% of checks that turn rubbery each year are the direct result of poor checkbook maintenance. If you can't balance your checkbook yourself, get a computer program like Quicken or MS Money to juggle the numbers for you. If it saves you one returned check fee from the bank, it will have paid for itself.

The End .. Back .. Checks and Balances